Just One Thing I Need
by fagur fiskur
Summary: Dean is an ornamental Christmas elf with a fascination for Castiel, felt angel of the Lord. Dean/Cas


**A/N: **30 (more) cheesy tropes #2 Fairytale AU

This is kind of fairytale-like, right? I'm sorry, I don't know what I'm doing. Title from Mariah Carey's All I Want for Christmas because of course it is.

* * *

><p><strong>Just One Thing I Need<strong>

* * *

><p>Dean had never minded his place on the Christmas tree.<p>

With Sam being as set in his ways as he was, the same ornaments usually ended up on the lower branches year after year, Dean being one of them. Most of the time, Dean was just a few inches above the ground, just below Charlie the snowman and next to Bobby, a cranky old bauble.

Yeah, Dean had never minded the lower branches. He had his friends close, and what more could he really ask for? He was content with his lot in life.

Content, that was, until he met Castiel.

Castiel was a felt angel Jess bought for the Christmas tree the first year she shared one with Sam. He was placed near the top, so Dean didn't get to meet him until the tree was taken down, where they were laid side by side on the floor while Sam dragged the tree outside.

"So you're the new guy?" Dean asked.

"Yes," Castiel said. "My name is Castiel, I am an angel of the Lord."

"I'm Dean," Dean said, nodding so his green hat flapped around. "I'm a Christmas elf."

Castiel nodded solemnly. "Hello, Dean."

Before their conversation could continue, Sam picked them up and put them away in separate boxes.

Normally, Dean wouldn't have given the new guy a second's thought. But something about the serious way Castiel said his name made Dean feel almost... important.

He wasn't used to feeling that way. He was just a mass-produced little ornament; all across the country there were thousands of elves just like him. But for that short moment Castiel had said his name, Dean felt special.

The year had never passed so slowly, as Dean waited and waited for his chance to talk to Castiel again. He needed to know if that feeling had been a one-off coincidence, or if there really was something about Castiel. Something so special, he made whoever he talked to feel special as well.

However, come next December, Dean was put in his usual place among the lower branches, and Castiel was put near the top again. Dean could just barely spot him through the pine needles when he craned his neck upwards as high as it would go.

This wouldn't do at all. Dean hadn't waited all year, just to be defeated by a few short feet.

So trying to climb to the top was probably a stupid idea. In fact, Dean knew that it was, since falling on the floor could mean getting ripped apart by the dog if it found you before Sam or Jess did. But what was life without a little risk?

The first few inches proved easy. Dean climbed up his string, grabbing the nearest overhanging branch and hauling himself on top of it. Repeating the process a few times got him near the middle, where he could finally catch a clear look at Castiel.

"Hey," he called, catching Castiel's attention.

"...Hello," Castiel replied belatedly, as he finally realized that Dean was talking to him. "What are you doing?"

"Coming up to see you," Dean answered honestly.

He could hear the other ornaments muttering, but he didn't care. Even from the distance he could see Castiel's shocked expression. It made Dean want to get to him even faster, so he reached for the next branch, not looking to check if it was within reach.

It wasn't, and Dean had one moment of grabbing for empty air before panic sank in and he was losing his balance, falling backwards. His eyes screwed shut as he began to fall, visions of sharp teeth flashing before his eyes.

His fall came to an abrupt stop, much sooner than Dean had expected. Nervously, he cranked one eye open, only to be greeted by Castiel's grim face up close.

"You should be more careful," Castiel chastised, and only then did Dean realize that Castiel had caught him.

Not only that, but they were hovering in mid-air. Castiel's black wings were spread, flapping every so often. "What- _you can fly_?"

"I am an angel," Castiel reminded Dean.

Dean blinked. "Oh." Because what else was there to say?

"Why did you want to come up to me?"

Having nearly fallen to his possible death, his reasons seemed so stupid and trivial to Dean now. What was he supposed to say? That he'd wanted to feel special again, if only for another moment? That he was curious about Castiel, and what it was about him that affected Dean so strongly?

"I don't know," he finally muttered.

Castiel didn't press him further. Instead, he returned Dean to his rightful place among the lower branches. As his string was being looped around the branch again, it suddenly occurred to Dean that he wouldn't get another chance to say something.

"Wait," he blurted. "My name."

Castiel's hand stilled on his string. "What?"

"It was the way you said my name," Dean said. "Like it was something special. Like _I_ was something special. I don't know if you really thought so or _why _you would, and you probably don't even remembered it now-"

"Dean," Castiel cut him off. "Right?"

It was just the same as it had been a year ago. The gravitas in Castiel's voice, the importance he seemed to place in that one syllable. It filled Dean with warmth unlike anything he'd known.

"You can relax," Castiel said. "I'm not going anywhere."

Dean let out a breath he hadn't been aware he'd been holding. "You're not?"

"No."

And sure enough, Castiel grabbed his own string and looped it around a nearby branch. It was close enough so that they could touch, if they wanted to. And Dean wanted to, for reasons that were completely beyond him.

Never one to question his own motives, Dean reached his hand out, holding his palm open invitingly. Castiel accepted it without hesitation.

* * *

><p>Jess narrowed her eye at the tree. She could have sworn something had changed about it since last night.<p>

"Sam?"

Sam poked his head through the doorway. "What?"

"Did you move the ornaments around last night?"

"No," Sam replied. "Did you want waffles for breakfast?"

Jess gave the tree one last cursory glance. There didn't seem to be anything missing. "Yeah. Waffles sound good."

It was probably all in her head.


End file.
